Alan M. Patterson

Ed.D., Partner,

Bryan Associates Inc.

Several years ago, utility companies began the change process by studying market potential, creating branding initiatives and streamlining overhead so they could transform existing services into products for the new millennium.

Name changes, pep rallies and wall posters are not enough to transform an industry that once was the only show in town into the supplier of choice. The key to successfully altering culture is setting and managing customer and employee expectations. One approach is to use several angles of attack.

A true business partner understands the other partner`s pain, challenges and issues. It means walking in the partner`s shoes and listening to them to discover what is important.

A "heart-to-heart" dialogue, rather than a problem-solving discussion, best occurs by getting face-to-face to understand partner priorities and needs. It is crucial to build and create the partnership through an orchestrated process, not a random event.

Dealing with emotional issues may be the biggest fear of all. The irony is that emotion is the key to finding out what someone needs. Most people would rather avoid such discussions. Instead of listening to what a person needs, they take it personally. They feel compelled to defend themselves and their teams. Listening is an opportunity to gain credibility and respect.

Employee improvement strategies

In spite of complicated re-engineering efforts, many utilities have taken the time to define their core business processes. Often, what is missing is a set of processes that affect how the culture is changed. These include: maintaining routine communication flow; structuring meetings for specific outcomes; setting "hot-button" priorities or critical task delegation; and problem-solving to establish clear-cut processes to handle customer issues and resolve conflicts. If these "softer" processes are left to chance, they become silent killers of competitive positioning. Changing business processes usually means changing the organizational structure.

Like most workers who have experienced dramatic change, utility industry employees often have to figure out how change will affect their jobs. At best, they set their own expectations. Some call this empowerment. Some call it taking initiative. Most call it confusion. Ground zero for changing culture is implementing job standards-the clear definition of each person`s roles and responsibilities.

There must be a dialogue process implemented with the right set of managers, job incumbents, and business partners. The purpose is to determine both the "what" and the "how" for key positions. These are not traditional job descriptions. They are sets of critical tasks, measures, and behaviors.

Perfecting management practices

There are several circumstances in the utility industry that inhibit managers from managing employee and business partner expectations. The biggest enemy is time. Where will technical managers find the time to drive expectations? Time, however, may not be the key issue to be considered in league with change.

A technical manager is usually a player-coach, responsible for certain deliverables as well as team management. This role is one of necessity, since the manager is usually the "lead" technical person with the most knowledge and expertise. Thus, the manager`s comfort level is generally technology-based, and it is easy for this person to get involved in project details. More time is devoted to projects and less time to expectations and accountabilities.

Change equals survival

Taking the lid off a company that is not customer-oriented reveals the following organizational structure: a sales force compensated for pushing products out the door and services that meet internal schedules, not the customer`s; outdated procedures; downsized staff groups; the business in turmoil and customers in agony. Those who survive in the utility industry will develop and implement market-driven strategies and will successfully transform their cultures. These winners realize that establishing and maintaining credibility is an around-the-clock process that is dependent upon setting and managing customer, employee and internal business partner expectations.